Can lifter



F. C. SILVA March 11, 1941;

CAN LIFTER Filed April 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY mmvemron l Illd It!!! In III! I amh H, 1941.

F. c. SXLVA -,2

01m LIFTER Filed April 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M Fm U W m D i Q [u Nun-fol? ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

The present invention relates particularly to means for lifting and placing filled tin cans.

One object of my invention is to provide a manually operated device constructed and arranged to grasp and lift a number of cans in one operation.

Another object is to provide a device of the character indicated that utilizes the weight of the cans to complete the grasping operation.

. Still another object is to provide a device of the character indicated that will effectively grasp and hold a number of cans without the use of shiftable or movable grasping fingers.

Finally, it is an object of the invention to pro vide a device of the character indicated that will be economical to manufacture, that in most instances may be made as one integral whole without relatively movable parts, that will be light in weight, strong, durable, and highly efficient in its practical application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of a portion of the same in position on the cans.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion of another embodiment oi? the invention in position on a can.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is transverse section through still another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 in its first position when applied to a can.

Figure '7 is an end view showin the second position of the device as applied to a can.

Figure 8 is an end view of the device showing the manner in which the can is lifted.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2, 6, '7, and 8, comprises a flat plate having a width somewhat less than the diameter of the cans to be hand-led as at I, and a length substantially the same as the length of the row of cans which it is desired to pick up at one time. The device shown is designed to pick up four cans at one time, but would be made proportionately longer if five, six, seven or more cans are to be picked up at one time.

Equally spaced from the ends of the plate and on the top thereof are handles 2, these handles projecting rearwardly of the plate along diverging lines as shown.

65 Spaced along the rear edge of the plate I and (Cl. 294--S7) depending therefrom are fixed prongs as at 3, these prongs having their edges bevelled inwardly as at 4. Spaced along the forward edge of the plate and depending therefrom in opposed relation to prongs 3 are fingers 5. The fingers 5 have. notches as 6 formed in their edges adjacent plate I, the edges being bevelled inwardly as at l.

The fingers 5 are so spaced on plate i that when the device is in position on a can the front edge of the plate defines the chord of an are 10 defined by the top of the can, the said are comprising substantially one-thi-rd of the circle defined by the can top. By so spacing the fingers the opposed notches 6 in two adjacent fingers 5 will engage the rim 8 of can 9 as. clearly shown 15 in Figure 2, the plate I resting upon the top edge of the can rim, and the notches extending under the rim in lifting engagement therewith.

The prongs 3 are spaced similarly to the fingers 5 and in opposed relation thereto, and are so proportioned that when the device is in position as above set forth they will fit snugly over the edge of the top of the can 9 at" points as H]. In the specific device illustrated in Figure 2 the prongs 3 are exactly opposite fingers 5 be- 25 cause they are disposed at the ends of a chord H equal to the chord l2 above referred to. But if the chord II were shortened or lengthened the positions of the prongs 3 would be changed accordingly, and to any degree necessary to cause 30 them to snugly engage the can rim 8.

In actual use the device is first lowered over a row of cans as indicated in Figure 6, with the plate i tilted forwardly a little .as shown and resting upon the tops of the cans. In the second movement the device is drawn toward the operator, thereby sliding the several notches B into engagement with the rims or heads 8 on the several cans. In the third movement the plate is swung down flat upon the tops of the cans, thereby pressing the prongs 3 down between the cans and into engagement with their rims or beads. In the fourth movement suflicient pressure is brought to bear upon the rear edge of the plate I to tilt the cans slightly toward the operat r, 45 These last three movements are illustrated in Figures 6, '7 and 8 respectively.

When two opposing notches 6- 6 are in engagement with the bead 9 of a can as above de scribed, the tilting of the device operates as a 50 lever of the first class, the power being applied on the long arm or handle at l3, the fulcrum at M and the weight at l5. Since the prongs 3 engage the can at two points substantially opposite fingers 5 they operate to support the can immovably in position the moment all of the lifting force is applied to the fingers as described.

While the foregoing description has been applied to the lifting of cans standing on their ends, it will apply equally as well when the cans are lying on their sides, only in this case the plate I is tilted with respect to a ventical plane instead of with respect to a horizontal plane.

When the row of cans which has been picked up in the manner described has been transferred to a new position, the cans are released by merely tilting the plate I upwardly and forwardly, this operation being sufficient to disengage the prongs and fingers from the cans.

In Figures 3 and 4 is shown another embodiment of the invention in which one edge only of the plate I overlies the end of the can.

In this case the notches 6 engage the bead on the can in the manner hereinbefore described, but the device is slid into position from the side of the operator, and is retained in position by means of a thickened portion l6 having an arcuate edge H which engages the inner surface of the flange on th can, the leverage being applied in the same manner as described in connection with the first mentioned embodiment.

In Figure 5 is shown a form of the invention wherein the plate is divided longitudinally into two parts as la and lb, hinged together as at 48. This form has certain advantages in connection with handling some types of cans, but the ma nor of its application and operation is the same as described in connection with the first two mentioned embodiments.

Although certain specific embodiments ofv the invention have been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alter-ations in the details of construction and mode of operation may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can lifter comprising, a plate having parallelly disposed prongs extending from one face thereof and spaced to engage a can top at four points, two of said prongs being formed to liftably engage the end bead on the can, the remaining prongs being formed to engage peripheral portions of the head to maintain the first prongs in liftable engagement with the bead, and at least one handle mounted on the other face of the plate and extending over and be yond the portion remote from the lifting prongs.

2. A can lifter comprising, a plate having means depending from one face there-of formed to liftably engage the end bead on a can at spaced points, and having other means depending therefrom disposed to slidably engage spaced peripheral portions of the end bead of said can and hold the can in engagement with the first mentioned means when the plate is in position on the can, and handles mounted on the other face of the plate intermediate the first and second mentioned means and extending over and beyond the portion of the plate provided with the second mentioned means.

3. A can lifter comprising, a plate having a width less than the diameter of the cans upon which it is to be used and having spaced elements depending from one edge thereof formed to liftably engage the end bead on a can, and having spaced elements depending from the edge opposite thereto formed and disposed to slidably engage spaced peripheral portions of the end bead of said can and hold the same in lifiting engagement with the first elements, and handles mounted on the outer face of the plate to extend over and beyond the second mentioned edge.

4. A can lifter for a can having an end bead, comprising a member adapted to extend transversely of a can end and having opposite end portions spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the can end, one end portion of said member having depending means adapted to liftably engage under the end bead at one side of the can end, the opposite end portion of said member having spaced depending members thereon including opposed straight side edges, said last named end portion and opposed edges of said depending members being adapted to be moved into peripheral engagement with spaced ead portions of the opposite side of said can end by being swung through an are centered at said first side of said can end and inwardly of a plane tangential to said last named side of said can end.

5. A can lifter for a can having an end bead, comprising a member adapted to extend transversely of a can end and having opposite end portions spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the can end, one end portion of said member having depend-ing means adapted to liftab'ly engage under the end bead at one side of the can end, the opposite end portion of said member having spaced depending members thereon including opposed straight side edges, said straight side edges of said depending members being adapted to be moved in a substantially endwise direction towards said can end to engage spaced peripheral portions of the end head at the opposite side of the can end, said peripheral bead portions being at opposite ends of a chordal plane parallel to a plane tangential to said opposite side of said can end, whereby to maintain said first named means in liftable engagement with the can bead.

6. The structure of claim 5, and said end portions of said member being hinged-1y connected together.

'7. The structure of claim 5, said end portions of said member being rigidly connected together.

8. The structure of claim 5, said means liftably engaging said bead comprising a pair of spaced prongs including opposed notches adapted to receive spaced portions of the bead.

9, The structure of claim 5, said member comprising a rigid plate, said depending means and members depending from opposite edge portions thereof, and at least one integral handle on an upper surface of said plate.

FRANK C. SILVA. 

